Gas absorption tower



July 13, 1937. T. LIGGETT, 3D

GAS ABSORPTION TOWER Filed Feb. l5, 1937 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS lll l I ZCL; I

Patented July 13, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates togas absorption towers and has for an object to provide a tower in which both the absorption liquid, such as caustic solution, and the gas to be puried or absorbed, such as the carbon dioxide in air, are mixed and caused to flow through the tower by the action of one or the other through a jet. Thus some auxiliary pumps Vor fans may be eliminated and more efficient operation obtained, especially uny -der extremely high pressures, than hitherto possible.

Another object is to provide flow and counterilow of gas to be absorbed so as to further 1ncrease the eiciency of absorption towers.

l5 Still another object is to provide a gas absorption tower in which thorough mixing of the gas and absorption liquid is accomplished either under high pressures or low pressures to even further increase `the eciency of absorption towers.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specication,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a gas absorption tower for high pressures constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View through a modified form of the gas` absorption tower suitable for use in connection with lower pressures.

Referring now to the drawingv in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, I0 designates the outer casing of the tower, the same being sealed at the top and the bottom respectively by closures I I and I2. An inner open ended sleeve I3 is concentrically disposed in the outer casing IIJ and is of shorter length than the latter. An intake pipe I4 is mounted axially in the sleeve and extends below the bottom of the latter where the pipe is enlarged as shown at I5 to receive a jet nozzle I6 which enters the tower through the bottom closure I2.

A conical baille I'I is disposed in the top of the tower. Below the baille, and surrounding the upper end of the sleeve I3, an annular pan I8` for catching absorption liquid is located. The pan is provided in the bottom with minute perfora- `tions I9 which permit escape of the contents downwardly in counterflow to the gas as will be presently described.V

A screen 29 is mounted in the outer casing I0 at the bottom of the sleeve I3. Conventional 5 packing material ZI is disposed between the screen ZI! and the pan I8 in both of the contact spaces outside of the sleeve I3 and inside the sleeve I3 around the intake pipe I4. D

The absorption liquid 22, such as caustic solul0 tion, fills .the bottom of the outer casing I0 and rises above the enlarged intake end I5 of the intake pipe I4 so that the gas to be absorbed such as carbon dioxide in air entering thejet nozzle I 6 will `be thoroughly mixed withthe 15 liquid. The gas and liquid in spray form will be carried upwardly in the intake pipe I4, as indicated by the arrows, the full line arrows indicating the path of the gasand the dotted arrows indicating the path of the liquid. The miX- 20 ture strikes against the bailie II at the top of the tower and is distributed uniformly over the top of the tower. All of the gas and part of the liquid descends through the sleeve I3 and the remainder of the liquid collects in the pan I 8, 25 and is distributed between the sleeve I3 and outer cylinder IIJ through the openings in the bottom of the pan.

The liquid collects in the bottom of the tower after traveling through the packed sleeve and 30 outer cylinder. The gas, however, after descending through the sleeve I3 rises through the space between the sleeve andthe outer cylinder, and the remaining unabsorbed gas, such as purified l air, emerges from the outer cylinder near the top 35 thereof through an outlet pipe 23.

A drain pipe 24 is connected with the bottom of the tower and is provided with an outlet valve 25 for draining the absorption liquid after it is spent. 40

In the modied form of the invention shown in Figure 2 the absorption liquid itself causes the circulation in the tower. 'I'o this end the liquid 26 is taken from the bottom of the tower through an outlet pipe 2l and returns under pressure 45 through a jet nozzle 28. The gas to be puried, such as air containing carbon dioxide, enters the bottom of the outer cylinder 29 through a supply pipe 30 which is connected to the axial intake pipe 3I near the tip of the jet nozzle. Also it 50 will be pointed out that the intake pipe extends downwardly below the liquid level and serves as a drain for that small portion of the liquid which collects on the walls and trickles back.

The remainder of the construction is similar 55 to the construction already illustrated in Figure 1 and previously described in that a sleeve 32 is disposed concentrically in the outer cylinder 2 9 and an annular pan lforming a reservoir 33 is Vmountedin the space between the sleeve and the sure drop in the gas through the tower so that the use of auxiliary fans or blowers may bedis-` pensed with.

It will be noted that the parallel flow through the packed sleeve in relation to the counter-current flow throughthe packed space between the sleeve and the outer cylinder and the thorough mixing of gasand absorption liquid in the intake V- pipe Ywill promote high eici'encyY in the removal of the carbon dioxide or other gas to be absorbed.

From the above description it is thought that the -construction and operation of the invention `will be fully understood without further explana- Y tion.v

`What is claimed is: Y l

r1. A gas 'absorption tower having a vertical intake pipe'through which gas and absorption liquid may be mixed, a jet nozzle in the pipe for forcing the mixture up the intake pipe by the action of the gas or the liquid, an inner open ended sleeve and an outer casingconcentric with said pipe, the spaces between said pipe, sleeve and kcasing providing contact spaces, an annular pan for catching absorption liquid positioned between said sleeve and casing near the upper ends thereof, said pan having a perforated bottom, an outlet for puried gas extending throughthe casing just beneath said pan,'the arrangement Vbeing such that the mixturek flows downwardly ,throughrthe sleeve and upwardly through the annular space between the casing and sleeve, and

"in said space in countercurrent to said gas.

2. A gas absorption tower comprising an outer casing, an inner open ended sleeve, a vertical intake pipe mounted axially in the sleeve and extending below the bottom of the latter, a jet nozzle entering the bottom of the intake pipe for supplying either the gas to be purified or the purifying liquid thereto, packing material between the outer casing and the sleeve and between the sleeve and the intake pipe', a conical balile in the top of the outer casing, the bottom of the outer casing' forming a tank for absorption liquid, anannular pan for catching absorption liquid disposed between the outer casing and the sleeve below the baffle and perforated to permit absorption liquid to escape downwardly between the outer casing and the sleeve, and an outlet pipe for purified gas extending through the outer casing below the pan, the flow of gas and absorption liquid being in an upward direction through the intake pipe and downward through the inner sleeve, and the puriiied gas flowing upward through the outer casing.

Y 3. A gas absorption tower comprising an outer vertical casing, an inner open ended sleeve concentric with the casing, an intake pipe disposed axially in the sleeve, a laterally disposed gas supply pipe connected with the intake pipe, the bottom of the outer casing forming a tank for abtake pipe, and-an outlet pipe for purified gas` kextending through the outer casing below the pan, the ilow of the mixture of gas and absorption liquid being downwardly through the sleeve and upwardly thro-ugh the outer casing, and the liquid caught in `the pan flowing downwardly countercurrent to said gas.

THOMAS LIGGETT, 3D. 

